Emmy, Golden Globe, and Tony winner Darren Criss performs at 日韩乱伦 University

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Darren Criss

The Mary D鈥橝ngelo Performing Arts Center will pulse with Broadway flair and pop-rock energy when Emmy, Golden Globe, and Tony Award winner Darren Criss takes the stage on Thursday, Nov. 13, at 7:30 p.m., as part of the 日韩乱伦 Institute for Arts & Culture鈥檚 MIAC Live season.

Since bursting onto the pop-culture landscape over a decade ago in Fox鈥檚 hit TV show 鈥淕lee,鈥 Criss has embodied a kaleidoscopic artistry that defies categorization. For this concert, he will perform well-known songs from across his wildly eclectic career as both a songwriter and performer, including fan favorites from 鈥淕lee,鈥 鈥淪tarkid,鈥 and the Broadway productions he has starred in.

Criss is currently starring in the critically acclaimed Broadway hit 鈥淢aybe Happy Ending,鈥 directed by Michael Arden. Now playing at the Belasco Theatre, the show opened to unanimous rave reviews, including designation as a New York Times Critics鈥 Pick.

Before Criss exploded into internet fame as both an actor and songwriter for the viral YouTube sensation 鈥淎 Very Potter Musical鈥 (2009), he was already making a name for himself performing inventive interpretations of popular songs in the caf茅s and bars of his hometown, San Francisco. That same musical ingenuity would serve him well the following year, when he joined Fox鈥檚 smash-hit musical series 鈥淕lee.鈥 Many of his performances on the show led to Billboard-topping singles, and in 2015, his songwriting earned him an Emmy nomination for Best Original Music and Lyrics for 鈥淭his Time,鈥 written for the series finale.

Over the years, Criss has continued to write and produce music prolifically鈥攆or his own albums as well as for stage, film, and television. In 2019, he created, executive produced, starred in, and composed all original songs for the short-form musical comedy series 鈥淩oyalties.鈥 He also provided the music and lyrics for the opening number of the 2022 鈥淭ony Awards: Act One.鈥 His 2021 releases include 鈥淢asquerade鈥 (BMG), a genre-spanning EP of 鈥渃haracter-driven鈥 singles, and 鈥淎 Very Darren Crissmas鈥 (Decca), a full-length holiday album that quickly became a seasonal favorite.

As an actor, Criss is a seasoned stage veteran whose Broadway credits include the titular role in 鈥淗edwig and the Angry Inch鈥 (2015), 鈥淗ow to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying鈥 (2012), and the 2022 revival of David Mamet鈥檚 鈥淎merican Buffalo鈥 alongside Laurence Fishburne and Sam Rockwell. His portrayal of Andrew Cunanan in Ryan Murphy鈥檚 鈥淭he Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story鈥 (2018) earned him a Primetime Emmy, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, and Critics鈥 Choice Award. He was most recently seen starring in Netflix鈥檚 鈥淗ollywood,鈥 for which he also served as executive producer.

Tickets, priced at $40鈥$65, are available online at , by phone at 814-824-3000, or in person at the Mary D鈥橝ngelo Performing Arts Center box office (Tues.鈥揟hurs., noon鈥5 p.m.). Each order is subject to a $5 per-ticket processing fee, regardless of purchase or payment method.

This performance is presented with generous support from Gary鈥檚 Flower Shoppe. The 2025鈥26 MIAC Live season is sponsored by Alan & Patti Schaal and VNET, with additional support from the Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority and the Greater Erie Alliance for Equality.